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I have a slight grumble about modern era 2000AD. Just want to share it with other readers.

I’ve noticed most 2000AD stories run around 10 – 12 parts. That sort of length. This format seems locked in place with very few stories running for shorter length (Future Shocks, Thargs Thrillers etc being the exception). I mention this because it seems blatantly obvious that stories are constructed to fit the 10 -12 part length so they can be hastily republished in graphic novel format and provide Rebellion an easy way to make extra cash.

99 percent of stories now run around 60 – 80 pages and that means more graphic novel reprints to try and get fans to spend more money buying the same strips again. I accept new readers/international readers may not read 2000AD on a regular basis so any graphic novel reprints are necessary but it’s seems very clear the 10 – 12 part story format is not there for story telling reasons – it’s done to sell more graphic novels. In this respect, I believe Rebellion has changed the format of 2000AD and it may not be for the better. Don’t get me wrong, I do like 10 – 12 part stories but my guess is Block Judge could have run for a shorter length but it seems it was designed to be a graphic novel. Same is true of the new run of Greysuit and the other strips. Stories are not written to their natural length, they’re altered to fit to 10 or so parts.

This week Rebellion are selling the latest Slaine story : ‘The Brutania Chronicle’ in graphic novel format. £16.99 standard version – £21.99 for the bookplate version. It was only in the progs six or so months ago but now they want fans to buy the same story again! People can buy what they like but I don’t think fans should be suckered into buying the same stuff again a few months after it’s been in the progs. Fans can do what they like but I just hope they’re aware of how Rebellion has altered the format of 2000AD to take more money of the fans. If you’re fine with this, fair enough, but it’s worth pointing out they’re altered the length of strips to fit a certain rigid format so that they can sell the same stuff back to you again!

People can buy what they like … but fans (are being) suckered into buying the same stuff again”

Those two statements are mutually exclusive. If one statement is true, the other cannot possibly be.”

————————————————————————————————————————-

It’s obvious the aim is to persuade/convince/trick fans into buying the same stuff again. Some weak-willed fans will buy stuff they don’t really need out of some misplaced sense of loyalty.

Dredd Uprise – 32 paged price £2.99. That is five parts long and ends this month in the Megazine! It’s on sale as a graphic novel a week later! A week later!

As soon as you get the longer 10 or so part format, Rebellion hike up the price for recent stories:

Sláine: The Brutania Chronicles 1 – £16.99

Take Judge Dredd Trifecta. It ran for 10 parts. Graphic novel price on Amazon: Hardcover
£15.99. This is a classic example of how Rebellion has altered the story size of most strips to suit the graphic novel format. Once the page count goes above a certain amount they charge a higher premium. It makes perfect business sense to do that – you get people to buy the progs and then buy the story again in graphic novel format – but fans have to see this as a money making exercise!

2000AD is printed on high quality paper stock, it’s not like the old Titan reprint days when they reprinted old 2000AD on much better paper. Titan 2000AD books were a great investment but since 1998 2000AD has had lovely paper, high quality reproduction, so there’s little need to spend your cash on buying graphic novels of your fave 2000AD stories. Okay, perhaps one or two a year but not every few months. That’s over-the-top and bad for your bank balance!

Considering that I collect a few things here and there but graphic novels is not one of those things, I think your theory falls flat.
Numerous people buy the Prog, less so the Meg and obviously Billions buy neither. If a few of those Billions want to buy a graphic novel due to the creative team but then never buy the Prog or Meg, then what’s the harm in that!\

haha this is the most hilariously insane non-comment I’ve ever read. It’s a conspiracy I tell you! It’s almost as if a longer books costs more to print than a shorter one…

Completely agree about them ripping us off though – everyone knows that if you only buy the Prog and not the graphic novels Tharg comes round and beats the shit out of you with a soap bar in a sock. You really have no choice in the matter.

Well anyway, Sauchieboy admitted he was John Wagner when you-know-who raised the contradiction in the Cal Files and Origin stories:

“”Alright, Scott; I admit it. I should have known you were wise to me-
after all; we go back a long way, you and me, Son. Was it my use of
the Scottish vernacular that gave me away? At any rate, you’ve
cleverly seized upon the one glaring anomaly in thirty-odd years of
Dredd continuity- the Polders/Tell anachronism- and I have to admit
that this was an embarrassing error of judgement on my part. I’m not
a
young man anymore, Scott; the strain on me has been heavy and I
wish,
perhaps, that my resolve had been a little greater when I made the
decision to step away from my writing commitments in the Nineties. ”

He also admitted he was John Wagner – actually stated he was – typed that on IMDB – (but then denied it), also admitted on IMDB:

“”Now, despite the fact that I don’t write as many weekly Dredd
stories as I used to”

Also admitted on Empire film board that he used to be a sub-editor at DC Thomson. Wagner was a sub-editor at DC Thomson! Here is the actual post

“Sauchieboy, I remember being at school and I had this friend called Duncan Clarence Thomson. We abbreviated it to DC Thomson. He loved 2000AD and Judge Dredd. He also loved classical music. His favourite composer was Wagner. I can’t remember what happened to DC, but he had an interest in journalism or publishing.”

That is post 135.

And Sauchieboy replied with:

“Very clever, Scott.”

That is post 136.

He was admitting he was Wagner! You-know-who had said this friend liked WAGNER – the composer- and the friend was called Duncan Clarence Thomson – DC Thomson!

It’s all there on the Empire board forum. Just click that link and scan down to the three posts!

And even if he isn’t John Wagner then it’s a bit naughty to pretend to be him. Sauchieboy never impersonates Wagner on the 2000AD board but decided to do it just for you-know-who! Sounds very unlikely. I still think Sauchieboy is John Wagner. Notice how his last comment about AWP makes sense:

“I don’t remember that acronym featuring in a Dredd strip before either. In prog 1907, Corrigan states “I GOT an AWP at the mall”, to which Beeny responds “the AWP can wait. SHIFT IT”. That suggests the term refers to a duty or appointment, rather than an object or a type of crime in progress.

Corrigan’s next seen occupying a raised observation platform at the Gramercy Heights mall, so I’m going to fancon AWP as referring to Aerial Watch Platform duty.”

It’s obvious that this person knows what AWP means. He’s not suggesting it, he’s telling me “it’s aerial watch platform duty.” I doubt any other fan would have said “I know what AWP means, it’s an aerial watch platform! It’s too random a suggestion. Only John Wagner would know what AWP means. And he posted his reply here. This proves it’s John Wagner.

One day he will admit the truth!

Sorry to go off topic. Just wanted to tell everyone that it’s extremely likely Sauchieboy is not just a regular fan of 2000AD but John Wagner in disguise. It points to him being John Wagner. Based on the old cliché of “beyond reasonable doubt” – it is him!

In the old IPC/Fleetway days 2000AD editorial didn’t release graphic novels one week after a story ended in the prog! I accept GNs are aimed at UK *and* US readers and a story like Dredd: Uprise may have broader US appeal due to the profile of the Dredd fim. It’s possible many US buyers of Dredd:Uprise don’t get 2000AD on regular basis.

My main point is not about choice, it’s about 2000AD altering the page/parts length so they can sell (fairly) expensive graphic novels! I don’t think anyone can dispute this fact because most 2000AD stories run around 10 parts or so and this is the ideal length for a higher price graphic novel. How many strips run, say, 14 or more parts? Hardly any. How many strips run for six parts? Hardly any. I haven’t checked every prog of this year but going on memory I think

Jaegir
Thargs Thrillers
Future Shocks
Ulysses Sweet
Sinister Dexter

were the only strips not to run for around 10 parts or so. Bar Judge Dredd, all the rest run for 10 or so parts. I don’t mind 10 part stories – it gives the writers room to develop the story and you get nice pacing. But I wonder if writers are told to edit their stories to fit the 10 part format because it suits the higher price graphic novel format.

All writers write to a format. No feature films are under an hour long, and none have a running time of more than three hours. No weekly TV dramas last less than half an hour, and none regularly clock in at longer than an hour.

The reasons for this are scheduling and the lucrative additional source of revenue generated by the after-sales market of video. Replace the word ‘video’ with the words ‘trade paperback’ to understand the analogy I’m making.

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